Title:Cell-based Therapy for Ocular Disorders: A Promising Frontier
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Author(s): Milad Ahani-Nahayati, Vahid Niazi, Alireza Moradi, Bahareh Pourjabbar , Reza Roozafzoon, Alireza Baradaran-Rafii and Saeed Heidari Keshel*
Affiliation:
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Science, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid
Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
- Medical Nanotechnology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical
Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Keywords:
Ocular diseases, cell-based therapy, regenerative medicine, stem cell, multipotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cells.
Abstract: As the ocular disorders causing the long-term blindness or optical abnormalities of the
ocular tissue entirely affect life quality, an insight into their corresponding pathogenesis and the expansion
of attitudes authorizing earlier detection and treatment need more consideration. Though
current therapeutics result in desirable outcomes, they do not offer an inclusive solution for hindrance
of development of visual impairment to blindness. Accordingly, stem cells because of their
particular competencies have attracted pronounced attention to be applied in regenerative medicine
of ocular diseases. In the last decades, a wide spectrum of stem cells surrounding Mesenchymal
Stem/Stromal Cells (MSC), Neural Stem Cells (NSCs), and embryonic/induced pluripotent stem
cells (ESCs/iPSCs) accompanied by Müller glia, ciliary epithelia-derived stem cells, and Retinal
Pigment Epithelial (RPE) stem cells have been widely investigated to report their safety and efficacy
in preclinical models and also human subjects. In this regard and the first interventions, RPE
cell suspensions were successfully utilized to ameliorate visual defects of the patients suffering
from Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) after subretinal transplantation. Herein, we will explain
the pathogenesis of ocular diseases and highlight the novel discoveries and recent findings in
the context of stem cell-based therapies in these disorders, focusing on the last decade's in vivo reports.